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1. Zircon facies in the Paleocene-Eocene Orca Group indicate a provenance link to the Chugach Terrance, Prince William Sound, Alaska.

   Fisher, W.S. ( April 2019 , Proceedings of the Keck Geology Consortium.)

   Much of the southern Alaska continental margin is made up of marine sedimentary rocks and distinct terranes that have been deposited and accreted from the Cretaceous to the present (Plafker et al., 1994). The Upper Cretaceous to Eocene Chugach-Prince William (CPW) terrane is interpreted to be one of the thickest accretionary complexes in the world, and it is bounded to the north by the Border Ranges fault and Wrangellia composite terrane (Garver and Davidson, 2015). The CPW terrane is inferred to be the Mesozoic accretionary complex of southern Alaska (Amato et al., 2013), but alternate hypotheses suggest it originally formed far to the south (Cowan, 2003). The CPW consists of inboard mesomélange (the McHugh Complex & Potter Creek Assemblage) and stratigraphically younger outboard flysch facies (the Valdez & Orca groups) and associated volcanics (Plafker et al., 1989; Garver and Davidson, 2015; Amato et al., 2013). The blueschist to greenschist Potter Creek Assemblage formed in Cretaceous-Early Jurassic subduction (Amato et al., 2013). The McHugh Complex is made up of mélange and deformed conglomerates and sandstones and ages range from the Jurassic to mid Cretaceous (Amato et al., 2013). The majority of the CPW terrane (>90 %) is comprised of the outboardmore »flysch facies of the Late Cretaceous to Eocene Valdez and Orca groups juxtaposed along the Contact fault system (Garver and Davidson, 2015, Dumoulin, 1987; Fig. 1). The CPW terrane was intruded by the 61-50 Ma Sanak-Baranof belt (SBB) near-trench plutons that are diachronous (Bradley et al., 2003; Cowan, 2003). There are two predominant hypotheses concerning the intrusion of these plutons and the amalgamation and translation of the CPW terrane. The Baranof-Leech River hypothesis suggests the CPW terrane formed to the south and was then translated along the margin (Cowan, 2003). A more northern hypothesis where CPW terrane formed in situ and the Resurrection Plate subducted underneath it (Haeussler et al., 2003). These alternate hypotheses each require a different sediment provenance for the CPW terrane outboard flysch assemblages. The goal of this study is to determine the depositional age, provenance, and original tectonic setting of the flysch facies of CPW terrane, with an emphasis on the younger Orca Group. Using maximum depositional ages (MDA) and the KS test, we delineate four distinctive zircon facies: 1) Miners Bay (~61-59 Ma, n=2244 grains); 2) Sawmill (59-55 Ma, n=1340); 3) Hawkins (55-50 Ma, n=1914); and 4) Montague (52-31 Ma, n=1144) (Fig. 2). A major stratigraphic conundrum is that the oldest Orca is age-correlative and has a similar provenance to the youngest Valdez Group at 61-60 Ma, and the location of these rocks casts doubt of models that rely on the Contact fault system as a terrane-bounding fault.« less
2. Expedition 355 Preliminary Report: Arabian Sea Monsoon

   https://doi.org/10.14379/iodp.pr.355.2015  

   Pandey, D.K. ; Clift, P.D. ; Kulhanek, D.K. ; Ando, S. ; Bendle, J.A.P. ; Bratenkov, S. ; Griffith, E.M. ; Gurumurthy, G.P. ; Hahn, A. ; Iwai, M. ; et al ( July 2015 , Preliminary report)

   The Indian (southwest) summer monsoon is one of the most intense climatic phenomena on Earth. Its long-term development has been linked to the growth of high topography in South and Central Asia. The Indian continental margin, adjoining the Arabian Sea, offers a unique opportunity to investigate tectonic–climatic interactions and the net impact of these processes on weathering and erosion of the western Himalaya. During International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 355, two sites (U1456 and U1457) were drilled in Laxmi Basin in the eastern Arabian Sea to document the coevolution of mountain building, weathering, erosion, and climate over a range of timescales. In addition, recovering basement from the eastern Arabian Sea provides constraints on the early rifting history of the western continental margin of India with special emphasis on continental breakup between India and the Seychelles and its relationship to the plume-related volcanism of the Deccan Plateau. Drilling and coring operations during Expedition 355 recovered sediment from Sites U1456 and U1457 in the Laxmi Basin, penetrating 1109.4 and 1108.6 m below seafloor (mbsf), respectively. Drilling reached sediment dated to 13.5–17.7 Ma (late early to early middle Miocene) at Site U1456, although with a large hiatus between the lowermost sediment and overlyingmore »deposits dated to <10.9 Ma. At Site U1457, a much longer hiatus occurs near the base of the cored section, spanning from 10.9 to ~62 Ma. At both sites, hiatuses span ~8.2–9.2 and ~3.6–5.6 Ma, with a possible condensed section spanning ~2.0–2.6 Ma, although the total duration for each hiatus is slightly different between the two sites. A major submarine fan draining the western Himalaya and Karakoram must have been supplying sediment to the eastern Arabian Sea since at least ~17 Ma. Sand mineral assemblages indicate that the Greater Himalayan Crystalline Sequence was fully exposed to the surface by this time. Most of the recovered sediment appears to be derived from the Indus River and includes minerals that are unique to the Indus Suture Zone, in particular glaucophane and hypersthene, most likely originating from the structural base of the Kohistan arc. Pliocene sandy intervals at Site U1456 were deposited in lower fan “sheet lobe” settings, with intervals of basin plain turbidites separated by hemipelagic muddy sections deposited during the Miocene. Site U1457 is more distal in facies, reflecting its more marginal setting. No major active lobe appears to have affected the Laxmi Basin since the Middle Pleistocene (~1.2 Ma). We succeeded in recovering sections spanning the 8 Ma climatic transition, when monsoon intensity is believed to have changed strongly, although the nature of this change awaits postcruise analysis. We also recovered sediment from a large mass transport deposit measuring ~330 and ~190 m thick at Sites U1456 and U1457, respectively. This section includes an upper sequence of slump-folded muddy and silty rocks, as well as underlying calcarenites and limestone breccias, together with smaller amounts of volcanic clasts, all of which are likely derived from the western Indian continental shelf. Identification of similar facies on the regional seismic lines in Laxmi Basin suggests that these deposits form parts of one of the world’s largest mass transport deposits. Coring of igneous basement was successful at Site U1457. Recovery of massive basalt and associated volcaniclastic sediment at this site should address the key questions related to rifting and volcanism associated with formation of Laxmi Basin. Geochemical analysis is required to understand the petrogenesis and thus the tectonic setting of volcanism that will reveal whether it is oceanic basalt or volcanic rock contaminated by underlying continental crust or continental flood basalt. However, the fact that the lavas are massive and have few vesicles implies water depths of eruption likely deeper than 2000 m. This precludes opening of the basin in the presence of a major mantle thermal anomaly, such as that associated with the Deccan Large Igneous Province. Other observations made at the two sites during Expedition 355 provide vital constraints on the rift history of this margin. Heat flow measurements at the two drill sites were calculated to be ~57 and ~60 mW/m2. Such heat flow values are compatible with those observed in average oceanic crust of 63–84 Ma age, as well as with the presence of highly extended continental crust. Postcruise analyses of the more than ~1722 m of core will provide further information about the nature of tectonic–climatic interactions in this global type area for such studies.« less
3. Arabian Sea Monsoon

   https://doi.org/10.14379/iodp.proc.355.2016  

   Pandey, D.K. ; Clift, P.D. ; Kulhanek, D.K. ( August 2016 , Proceedings of the International Ocean Discovery Program)

   The Indian (southwest) summer monsoon is one of the most intense climatic phenomena on Earth, with its long-term development possibly linked to the growth of high topography in South and Central Asia. The Indian continental margin, adjoining the Arabian Sea, offers a unique opportunity to investigate tectonic–climatic interactions and the net impact of these processes on weathering and erosion of the western Himalaya. During International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 355, two sites were drilled in Laxmi Basin in the eastern Arabian Sea to document the coevolution of mountain building, weathering, erosion, and climate over a range of timescales. In addition, recovering basement from the eastern Arabian Sea provides constraints on the early rifting history of the western continental margin of India with special emphasis on continental breakup between India and the Seychelles and its relationship to the plume-related volcanism of the Deccan Plateau. A major submarine fan probably draining the western Himalaya and Karakoram must have been supplying sediment to the eastern Arabian Sea since at least ~17 Ma. Sand mineral assemblages indicate that the Greater Himalayan Crystalline Sequence was fully exposed to the surface by this time. Most of the recovered sediment appears to be derived from the Indusmore »River and includes minerals that are unique to the Indus Suture Zone, in particular glaucophane and hypersthene, most likely originating from the structural base of the Kohistan arc (i.e., within the Indus Suture Zone). Pliocene sandy intervals at Site U1456 were deposited in lower fan “sheet lobe” settings, with intervals of basin–plain turbidites separated by hemipelagic muddy sections deposited during the Miocene. Site U1457 is more distal in facies, reflecting its more marginal setting. No major active lobe appears to have affected Laxmi Basin since the late early Pleistocene (~1.2–1.5 Ma). We succeeded in recovering sections spanning the 8 Ma climatic transition, when monsoon intensity is believed to have changed strongly, although the nature of this change awaits postcruise analysis. We also recovered sediment from large mass transport deposits measuring ~330 and ~190 m thick at Sites U1456 and U1457, respectively. These sections include an upper sequence of slump-folded muddy and silty rocks, as well as underlying calcarenites and limestone breccias, together with smaller amounts of volcanic clasts, all of which are likely derived from the western Indian continental shelf. Identification of similar facies on the regional seismic lines in Laxmi Basin suggests that these deposits form parts of one of the world’s largest mass transport deposits. Coring of igneous basement was achieved at Site U1457. Recovery of massive basalt and associated volcaniclastic sediment at this site should address the key questions related to rifting and volcanism associated with formation of Laxmi Basin. Geochemical analysis indicates that these are low-K, high-Mg subalkaline tholeiitic basalts and do not represent a typical mid-ocean-ridge basalt. Other observations made at the two sites during Expedition 355 provide vital constraints on the rift history of this margin. Heat flow measurements at the two drill sites were calculated to be ~57 and ~60 mW/m2. Such heat flow values are compatible with those observed in average oceanic crust of 63–84 Ma age, as well as with the presence of highly extended continental crust. Postcruise analyses of the more than ~1722 m of core will provide further information about the nature of tectonic–climatic interactions in this global type area for such studies.« less
4. FACIES AND ICHNOFABRICS IN THE PALEOCENE OF CHICXULUB: A RECORD OF THE RECOVERY OF LIFE POST-IMPACT

   Whalen, M ; O’Malley, K ; Lowery, C ; Rodriguez-Tovar, F ; Morgan, J ; Gulick, S. ( January 2017 , Lunar and planetary science conference abstracts)

   Introduction: IODP/ICDP Expedition 364 recovered core from 505.7-1334.7 m below the seafloor (mbsf) at Site M0077A (21.45° N, 89.95° W) atop the peak ring in the Chicxulub impact structure. The core penetrated Paleogene sedimentary rocks, impactrelated suevite, melt rock, and granitic basement [1]. Approximately 110 m of post-impact, hemipelagic and pelagic sedimentary rocks were recovered, ranging from middle Eocene (Ypresian) to basal Paleocene (Danian) in age [1]. The transition between suevite and basal Paleocene sedimentary rocks is a remarkable succession of fining upward gravel to sand-sized suevite (Unit 2A) overlain by laminated carbonate-rich siltstone (Unit 1G, “impact boundary cocktail” [2]) that records the settling of fine-grained material postimpact [1]. This study concentrates on the carbonaterich Paleocene sedimentary rocks of overlying Unit 1F [1]. The degree of bioturbation, or ichnofabric index (II) [3, 4], provides a semiquantitative estimate of the density of burrowing within sedminentary facies. Collection of II data within the context of facies analysis thus yields insight into the initial and then continued disturbance of sediment by burrowing organisms recording the return of life to the crater (Fig. 1). Unit 1G: The unit extends from 616.58-617.33 mbsf (Fig. 1) and consists mainly of dark brown to dark grayish brownmore »calcareous siltstone but is complex with several different lithologies and post-depositional pyrite nodules that disrupt bedding. The base of the unit is a sharp, stylolitized contact overlain by two ~1 cm thick, normally graded beds. Overlying, up to 617.17 mbsf, the siltstone contains internally finely laminated cm-scale beds that alternate between dark brown and grayish brown. Above, up to 616.97 mbsf is a package with mm bedded couplets of dark brown and grayish brown calcareous siltstone that grade upward into similarly colored cm bedded couplets that then thin upward into mm bedded couplets again. Above this interval bedding is indistinct and appears to be obscured by soft sediment deformation from 616.66- 616.97 mbsf. The upper part of the unit is slightly deformed with greenish marlstone and interbedded lighter gray siltstone displaying a distinct downwarp from 616.58-616.66 mbsf. Rare oval structures, that are potential individual burrows, occur down to 616.65 mbsf. Unit 1F: The unit records the remainder of the Paleocene and extends from 607.27-616.58 mbsf (Fig. 1). The base of the unit is a sharp contact at the base of a greenish claystone (II 2) that overlies Unit 1G [1]. It consists dominantly of interbedded light gray to light bluish gray wackestone and packstone (II 3-5) and light to dark bluish gray marlstone (II 2) at cm-dmscale. All lithologies contain wispy stylolites. The lower portion of the unit (616.58 and 607.74) is cyclic with cm-dm-scale bedding and light greenish-blue to bluish marlstone bases (II 2-3) that grade upward into light gray or light bluish gray wackestone and packstone (II 3-5). Contacts between lithologies are usually gradational due to burrowing. The upper portion of the unit from 610.25 to 607.74 mbsf is a light yellowish brown burrowed packstone (II 4) intercalated with gray marlstone (II 2). The uppermost 7.5 cm is calcite cemented with 1 cm wide burrows (II 3-4). Clasts are fine to coarse sand size and include foraminifera. The upper surface of this unit is a hardground and minor unconformity overlain by Eocene rocks [1]. Ichnofabric Index: II data provides a window onto the return of life post-impact (Fig. 1). Rare structures in the upper most sandy suevite (Unit 2A) and in Unit 1G (Core 40R-1) resemble bioturbation structures but may also represent fluid escape [1]. The first welldefined oval structures that appear to be burrows occur in the upper part of Unit 1G (Fig. 1, 616.58-616.65 mbsf). Unequivocal burrows (II 2) that disturb sedimentary facies occur just above, at 616.56 mbsf in Unit 1F (Fig. 1). II of 3-4 are reached 5-6 cm above indicating significant disruption of original sedimentary strutures. An II of 5 is first documented at 616.16 mbsf (Fig. 1). Above this level through the Paleocene succession II largely varies between 2 and 5 with rare laminated intervals (II 1). Bioturbation intensity correlates well with facies changes and more marly facies display lower levels of bioturbation than more carbonate- rich facies. This correlation implies a depth and/or paleoredox control on the distribution of bioturbating organisms. Discussion: II and the return of life: The II data indicate that burrowing organisms were likely reestablished in the crater before the end of deposition of Unit 1G. Biostratigraphic analyses document a mix of Late Cretaceous and earliest Danian taxa within Unit Lunar and Planetary Science XLVIII (2017) 1348.pdf 1G and lowermost Danian zone Pα documented in the lowermost part of Unit 1F down to 616.58 mbsf [1]. P1a taxa occur down to 616.29 mbsf with P1b-P4 recorded upward through 607.27 m [1]. Burrowing organisims were thus active by earliest Danian indicating a rapid return of life to the crater. Hydrocode modeling implies that much of the deformation and peak ring formation was completed within minutes of the impact [5]. Deposition and reworking of impact breccia by tsunami and seiches likely extended for several days [6]. More refined estimates for the return of life to the crater may be possible with more detailed analysis of the deposition of laminae within Unit 1G that records marine settling of fine-grained material that may have taken days to months.« less
5. Life and death in the Chicxulub impact crater: A record of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

   https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1889-2020  

   Smith, V. ( May 2020 , Climate of the past)

   Thermal stress on the biosphere during the extreme warmth of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was most severe at low latitudes, with sea surface temperatures at some localities exceeding the 35 °C at which marine organisms experience heat stress. Relatively few equivalent terrestrial sections have been identified, and the response of land plants to this extreme heat is still poorly understood. Here, we present a new PETM record from the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact crater that has been identified based on nannofossil biostratigraphy, an acme of the dinoflagellate genus Apectodinium, and a negative carbon isotope excursion. Geochemical and microfossil proxies show that the PETM is marked by elevated TEX86H-based sea surface temperatures (SSTs) averaging ~37.8 °C, an increase in terrestrial input, surface productivity, salinity stratification, and bottom water anoxia, with biomarkers for green and purple sulfur bacteria indicative of photic zone euxinia in the early part of the event. Pollen and plants spores in this core provide the first PETM floral assemblage described from México, Central America, and the northern Caribbean. The source area was a diverse coastal shrubby tropical forest, with a remarkably high abundance of fungal spores indicating humid conditions. Thus, while seafloor anoxia devastated the benthic marinemore »biota, and dinoflagellate assemblages were heat-stressed, the terrestrial plant ecosystem thrived.« less